Herval Abreu, who served as director and executive producer for the hit telenovela “Runaways,” initially proposed using Blackmagic Design for the telenovela as he wanted to explore a more cinematic and sophisticated look. Canal 13 needed cameras that would seamlessly work with its existing broadcast gear, and the easiest way to incorporate new products was to test them in specific points in the workflow.

“We started out by introducing Blackmagic Design products, like the Teranex 2D Processor, to manage conversions. It complemented our existing infrastructure without disrupting the production chain, and the results were incredible,” said Hugo Terán, Chief of Technical Projects at Canal 13. “We always had our eyes on Blackmagic Design’s URSA Mini 4K cameras and needed to apply the same type of test scenario to see if they would help us accomplish what we wanted in terms of image quality, while working with what we already had in house.”

“To convince Canal 13 that the URSA Mini 4K was the right choice, we shot a couple of scenes with it and compared the footage with our existing broadcast camera. What we achieved with the URSA Mini 4K was just what we wanted; we saw a huge difference in the image quality, better contrasts, superior look and color, and clearer backgrounds. Also, the fact that the camera is less expensive than our existing equipment blew everyone away,” Hugo explained.

Initially one of the biggest challenges the crew faced was making the change from using studio cameras to the standalone URSA Mini 4K cameras. There were many choices for customizing the camera’s setup, and the team eventually selected the Blackmagic 3G-SDI Arduino Shield to optimize the camera control. The crew quickly became familiar with the cameras and immediately started seeing results, and they attribute their success to the camera’s user friendly and intuitive design.

Canal 13 also relies on Blackmagic Design throughout the post process. Because Canal 13’s clients haven’t yet made the transition to 4K, the broadcaster films the telenovelas in HD and uses the Teranex 2D Processor to down convert from progressive HD to interlaced HD, all while preserving the frame cadence. In addition, Canal 13 relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for color grading and some editing.

Colorist and post veteran Robert Diaz used DaVinci Resolve Studio for color grading “Runaways.” Robert noted that DaVinci Resole Studio’s Power Windows proved to be incredibly helpful, especially when finessing shots and adjusting colors, temperatures and enriching the original material. DaVinci Resolve Studio’s editing capabilities also came in handy when Robert needed to quickly adjust shots, stabilize images and add special effects.

“Runaways” became an instant success in Chile, frequently occupying the second and third ratings positions, and around the world as an online phenomenon. The telenovela reached the top position in online streaming on Canal 13’s website and was named one of Latin America’s “freshest TV offerings” by MIPCOM 2016. In May 2017, Canal 13 kicked off filming for the second season of its hit television series “Soltera Otra Vez,” or “Single Again,” again relying on Blackmagic Design.

“It’s truly impressive what we were able to achieve with all of our Blackmagic Design gear. From the URSA Mini 4K that captured the tiniest details with its high dynamic range, to having a totally comprehensive post suite with DaVinci Resolve Studio, our team was able to achieve the cinematic and superior look we had wanted for such a long time,” Hugo concluded.

Press Photography
Product photos of the URSA Mini 4K, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Teranex 2D Processor, Blackmagic 3G-SDI Arduino Shield and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/press/images. Story photos can be found here.

About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com/au.

About New Magic Australia Pty Ltd (Australian and New Zealand Blackmagic Design master distributor)
New Magic Australia Pty Ltd is a recognised leader in the distribution and marketing of multimedia hardware and software, representing a carefully selected range of innovative, leading manufacturers and catering for both the professional and consumer markets. New Magic Australia established in 1993 is the Australian distributor of Blackmagic Design, Convergent Design, Hauppauge Computer Works Inc, Cubix and Matrox Video products. www.newmagic.com.au.